Alexander Alekhine

Great Chess Players Who Never Became Champions

After learning to play chess, every child dreams of becoming the World Champion. It’s the ultimate goal that everyone strives for. Of course, few actually manage to accomplish it. In the history of the sport, only 16 people have “ascended”. But is it fair to say that only the World Champions can be considered great…

Max Euwe – Biography

Max Euwe was a Dutch chess player, the 5th official World Chess Champion (1935-1937), and President of FIDE (1970-1978). He was born in Amsterdam on May 20th, 1901, in a teacher’s family. He learned to play at 4 years old from his parents, who were avid players. They even held friendly tournaments on a weekly…

Alexander Alekhine – Biography

Alexander Alekhine was a Russian chess player, the first champion of the Russian Soviet Republic, and the fourth official World Chess Champion. He was born in Moscow, in a prosperous family, on 10/19/1892. Alekhine’s father, Alexander Ivanovich, was a well-respected citizen and a member of the Fourth State Duma. Alekhine first became acquainted with chess…

José Raúl Capablanca – Biography

José Raúl Capablanca was a Cuban chess player (1888-1942) and the 3d World Champion in chess. He was a genius of middlegame/endgame, as well as a master of positional play.  The legend was born in Havana on the Cuban island, a colony of Spain. On the 19th of November, 1888 in the family of an army…